A professional Pokémon player has brought renewed attention to personal hygiene at competitive gaming events after detailing an experience where a fellow competitor's offensive odor caused him to become physically ill. Donghun Youm, a regional champion in the Pokémon Video Game Championships (VGC), shared his experience on Twitter/X, calling for players to maintain better hygiene.
Youm recounted an incident at the 2026 Baltimore Regional Championships where the smell from a nearby player was so potent that he vomited. He further stated that the stench was so overwhelming that it disrupted his and his friends' ability to concentrate during their matches, prompting them to report the issue to a tournament judge.
"I've had an incident at Baltimore regionals where I had to throw up due to a nearby player's stench," Youm posted. "My friends and I couldn't focus that round due to how putrid the smell was and we even told a judge due to it. Like c'mon man...."
This post has ignited discussions within the Pokémon community regarding player etiquette and cleanliness at in-person tournaments. The conversation has also spawned numerous jokes and memes referencing Pokémon abilities related to smell, such as 'Stench,' which can cause opponents to flinch.
Commenters on Youm's post echoed his concerns, with some suggesting that good hygiene should be a mandatory requirement for attending events and that players with poor hygiene should face disqualification. Others pointed out the affordability of basic hygiene products, with one user stating, "If you can afford a Nintendo Switch, you can afford a $3 stick of deodorant dude."
This is not an isolated issue within the broader gaming community. In June, a card shop in Oregon reportedly suspended its Yu-Gi-Oh tournaments due to recurring complaints about the smell of patrons. The shop cited Konami's official tournament guidelines, which require all attendees to be "clean and wear clean clothing."
Pokémon's official Play! Pokémon Tournament Rules Handbook also addresses hygiene, stating that participants are required to maintain a "socially acceptable level of hygiene." The rules empower tournament organizers to ask participants to improve their hygiene or attire, with refusal being grounds for removal from the event.
It remains unclear whether the player responsible for the incident at the Baltimore Regionals faced any penalties. Regardless, Youm's experience has amplified calls for players to prioritize personal cleanliness to ensure a more comfortable and focused environment for all competitors at future events.